Blog

As the world begins to embrace automation and robotics, there has been a rise in demand for automation specialists. To accommodate growing demand, Acieta has updated our facility and is looking for people who want to help us shape the future of automation.
Automation is an industry poised for growth and with that growth comes exciting career opportunities. In the words of one of our employees:
“One of the hottest industries; Industrial Automation is on a path of 12% year over year growth – which means for Acieta to continue to be on the forefront of Robotic Integration, we need to grow as well. Robotics is challenging, exciting, always evolving and can be extremely rewarding, but it takes the entire team to be successful,” shared Steve Alexander, Vice President of WI Operations, Acieta. “... Read More

Welding is an essential manufacturing process, and it's also one of the hardest to master. Metal arc welding is especially difficult because it requires maintaining a consistent torch orientation and arc length.
FastArc Weld Cells provide these consistencies, resulting in four areas of benefits:
Improved quality
Increased capacity
Lower costs
Safer working conditions
Improved quality: An automated welding system provides consistency. High repeatability means the torch is positioned the same way and the arc length is the same on every cycle. This greatly reduces part-to-part variation compared to manual welding, especially when part design makes access difficult.
Increased capacity: Automated welding systems can run 24/7 without a lunch break. Automated welding is faster than doing it... Read More

Manual welding requires an operator to maintain consistent torch orientation and arc length over a long production run. Fatigue leads to mistakes and lower output. Automation solves these problems.
Most forms of welding can be automated. Arc welding, resistance/ spot welding, and less common variants such as ultrasonic welding or submerged arc are all good candidates.
FastArc Weld Cells eliminate the variation inherent in manual operations, which results in more consistent quality. It's usually faster than even the best welders can achieve and runs continuously, so capacity increases. The stable takt time simplifies production planning and control, and consumable consumption drops.[L1]
Robotic welding and dedicated (hard) automation can be fully or partially automated. Partial (or semi... Read More

See the Key to Better Productivity: State-of-the-Art robotic bending system in action at Fabtech Booth A4014
Labor shortages are a problem more than ever before, and it’s costing everyone valuable time and money. It’s incredibly difficult to hire workers for repetitive, dirty, dangerous and boring jobs, and it’s nearly impossible to retain workers in those positions.
Whether your parts are large or small, bring your questions, your goals and your imagination. Visit us at FABTECH to see an example of an Acieta robotically integrated bending solution in action, and learn how a robot can be the key to your productivity.
In cooperation with Cincinnati, we are demonstrating a robot running multiple jobs, including tool changes in the press brake without operator intervention.
Come to the... Read More

Why Automation Should Be A Priority For Your Company
Manufacturers in every industry are investing in robotic automation. Companies in food and consumer goods, electronics, metal processing and the automotive sector are using robots to improve productivity and reduce costs. However, just automating existing processes may not be enough to stay competitive in international markets. What's needed is a complete rethink of what happens now, coupled with the imaginative application of emerging robotic innovations.
Automation Is Growing
The Robotic Industries Association (RIA) reports that robot sales in the first quarter of 2017 grew by 32 percent since the first quarter of 2016. Leading the charge are applications in welding (both arc and spot), coating and dispensing. Also, there’s a growing... Read More

Robotic manufacturing solutions are changing the way factories operate in every industry. Efficiencies are improving and production is becoming more stable and consistent. Capacity and productivity are on the rise while employees are better protected from dirty, dangerous activities. Underway in large, medium, and small businesses alike, these changes impact practically every aspect of manufacturing.
The Expanding Role of Manufacturing Robotics
Early adopters, the automotive industry, deployed robots for repetitive, physically demanding tasks. A robotic system for welding a car body is the textbook example. Packaging, palletizing and machine-tending applications soon followed, along with tasks such as dispensing, assembly and inspection.
Today, advances in sensor technology, especially... Read More

If you can measure it, you can improve upon it. That's why industries from aerospace and automotive to foundries and pharmaceuticals capture all the process data they can. For generations, those numbers were logged manually, and production workers themselves were a valuable source of information. Yet with repetitive, dirty and dangerous operations increasingly performed by robots, who will report on what's happening when manufacturing gets done?
Industry 4.0
Originally a German expression, Industry 4.0 is the next leap in manufacturing, to an era of “cyber-physical integration.” Sensor-equipped machines communicate with one another across the internet. Vast quantities of data are captured, shared and stored. “Big data” software tools automate analysis and support decentralized decision-... Read More

Few machines evoke as much concern and outright fear as the industrial robot. Perhaps the problem is those journalists and “experts” who sound like modern day Paul Reveres crying, “The robots are coming! The robots are coming!”
Of course, they’re not wrong. Industrial robots are on the rise, but that doesn’t mean they’re rising up. There are no “would-be” terminators lurking in the dark. Perhaps a few facts can lay all those robotic myths to rest.
Robots are Essential
Many of the items we buy were produced by industrial robots. Robots perform precision assembly, ensure consistent quality and lower costs.
Robots are Still Fairly Dumb
Robots just follow instructions written by a programmer. That means they need structured environments with precise positioning. The latest robots are getting... Read More

It’s common knowledge that robots in manufacturing lower costs and improve quality. Businesses become more competitive and are able to grow, sometimes re-shoring manufacturing in the process. However, it is a fallacy that robots take away human jobs. Rather than cutting headcounts, companies using robots find they need more people to handle the increased volumes. In short, robots create a virtuous circle of investment, growth and job creation.
Jobs for Robots
When people have to complete repetitive manual tasks — especially those needing precision — they get tired, make mistakes and are susceptible to getting injured. Human quality is inconsistent and output suffers.
Dull, difficult and dangerous jobs are found in industries from food processing to electronics and aerospace. Many are... Read More